​LATEST STORIES

US cable news channel CNN have this week selected Patrice Millet as a ‘CNN hero’. Their CNN hero awards are set up to honour everyday people who are changing the world, unique individuals who have made remarkable achievements for the benefit of others.

Patrice set up the work we support in Haiti, and is a true hero. Five years ago, Patrice was told he was in the advanced stages of a rare bone cancer. The Haitian businessman went through a stem cell transplant procedure in the US and after nine months of treatment, his cancer was in remission.

When Patrice returned to Haiti he was determined use the time he has left to make a difference. He turned all his attention to helping children from the poorest slums in Port au Prince to have a brighter future.

"Every day you see so many kids in need, so many bad stories, tragic stories," said Patrice, "All my life, I wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. I said, 'This is the time. I have nothing to lose."

Patrice sold his construction supply business and started a project called FONDAPS, which stands for Foundation Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours (Foundation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The program uses football to help children stay out of trouble and learn valuable life skills. Patrice calls it "education by sport."

He braved dangerous areas and befriended the locals in some of the worst ghettos of Port au Prince, eventually building up a sports programme for 600 children who are are coached in football, receive free football kits and are given food parcels to take home.

We support this remarkable programme as it helps some of the most vulnerable children in the world. Children in the slums of Haiti endured grinding poverty and were at risk from criminal gangs even before the earthquake hit. After the tremors they were made doubly vulnerable.

The work Patrice is doing is a lifeline. He says; "To see the joy in the face of a kid when you know what he's living through ... that makes me happy. It's so wonderful to see the progress they make in soccer, in their own life, in everything."

On every day from the 8th - 14th August Montezuma’s Chocolate Company hosted range of activities to raise money and make a ‘chocolate coated difference’ for Children on the Edge. They aimed to raise £1,000 throughout the week to go towards our Learning Centres for working children in Bangladesh. The amount actually raised by the end of the week was a stunning total of £1,837.93.

The week’s activities included raffles, competitions, taster evenings, lucky dips and a fantastic sponsored cycle in Chichester to round off the week. The cyclists chose from a three different routes depending on their abilities, taking in the scenery of the West Sussex countryside and stopping midway for a pub lunch.

We’d like to thank Montezuma’s staff and customers for all their contributions to the week. This work is giving hundreds of working children the chance to enjoy their childhood in a fuller way.

The total raised from the week is enough to pay a year’s rent for all three of our Learning Centres. That’s giving 300 working children a safe place to go and learn, rest and play every day for a year.

Pop into your local Montezumas, pick up some chocolate and say well done! Each 5p paper bag you buy to carry your chocolate in goes straight to our projects.

Cakes4Kids is a baking business set up by 11 year old Lauren. Lauren is using her budding culinary talents to make cakes, cookies, brownies, ice cream and muffins to raise money for Children on the Edge and Cancer Research.

Together with her parents this resourceful young lady has set up her very own facebook page where people can put in their orders for delicious baked goods with the money going to charity.

Lauren says “I love making cakes and other treats for my family. I thought I should try and raise some money for charity so that's what I'm doing, with a little help from my parents”.

We’d like to say a big thank you to Lauren for dedicating her talent and time to raise money for our work. If you have any fund-raising ideas, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

As a stay at home Mum of two Carol Shipley wanted to find a way to make a positive difference to society whilst still being able to take care of her children. She and her husband were particularly disturbed by the reality of child trafficking across the world. As a result they decided to support projects run by Children on the Edge in Thailand which protect children vulnerable to trafficking.

In order to raise funds for this work they opened Jewels for Freedom, an online shop selling a range of beautiful jewellery where every single penny of the proceeds goes to our projects in Thailand.

Each and every Jewels for Freedom purchase can make a difference to a vulnerable child in Thailand. The money from each piece bought will go directly to our Children’s Crisis Centre, Migrant Schools and Boarding Houses via JustGiving.

So whether you’re looking for a gift or something to complement an outfit visit Jewels for Freedom to browse through their ranges of classic, bridal, mens and ‘princess’ jewellery. Each item is produced with stringent environmental standards and sent in beautiful gift boxes made from recycled materials.

As part of the Montezuma’s Charity Challenge week for Children on the Edge there will be an opportunity for cyclists of all abilities to to help some of the worlds most vulnerable children.

On Sunday 14th August, taking in the some of the best scenery in Sussex, both children and adults have the opportunity to enjoy a great day out for a good cause.

For the higher level cyclists ‘The Sport Ride’ totals 50 miles and heads out from Chichester at 9.30 am. Participants will spend the morning winding their way through 30 miles of countryside hills and country lanes, breaking for a tasty pub lunch before heading home.

For those who prefer a gentler pace, ‘The Leisure Ride’ coasts along the same route but with a slightly slower speed to accommodate varying abilities.

Finally for all you sport loving families ‘The Family Ride’ will provide a great day out and a highlight to the summer holidays. This leaves at 10.30 pm for a 6 miles route through beautiful cycle paths and tracks arriving in time to meet the sports riders for a pub meal. After lunch family riders wind their way back down the tracks for a 3.30 pm finish.

Entry tickets cost £20 for adults and £10 for children including a pub lunch. It costs just £20 to provide a years education to a refugee child on the India Burma border. You can make this invaluable contribution to a child’s life and get a fantastic day out into the bargain.“This is an event for anyone with a road bike and a desire to help some of the most vulnerable children in the world.” Ben Wilkes, Children on the Edge.“Summer cycling in Sussex is the best in the UK on its day. Getting a group of riders together to raise money for Children on the Edge is a win win; great fun and for a great cause.” Simon Pattinson, cyclist, parent of a cyclist and Chocolate shop owner.

Please feel free to find out more and to enter contact Ben Wilkes at Children on the Edge.

On every day from the 8th - 14th August Montezuma’s Chocolate Company are hosting a range of activities to raise money for Children on the Edge. They are aiming to raise £1,000 through their Charity Challenge Week to go towards our Learning Centres for working children in Bangladesh.

The week’s activities include raffles, competitions, taster evenings, lucky dips and a fantastic sponsored cycle to round off the week. Montezuma’s stores can be found in Chichester, Winchester, Brighton, Spitalfields Market, London and Kingston, download a programme get involved at a store near you!

Montezumaʼs has been supporting Children on the Edge for over 8 years with various initiatives and events including sponsored runs, cycles, and an annual Easter Chocolate Trail based in Chichester. More recently, their ʻBags of Cashʼ scheme has been a tremendous success, raising over £13,000 in a year.

Raising £1,000 will make a massive difference for working children in Bangladesh. Grinding poverty throughout the country results in more than 5 million Bangladeshi children being sent out to work each day to support their families. Consequently these children are unable to attend school and rarely have the chance to rest and play with their friends.

To address this we have three Learning Centres in the Coxʼs Bazar area of Bangladesh specifically for working children. At these centres working children receive a nutritious meal and are given a chance to rest, attend lessons and play together each day.

This work is giving 300 hundred children the chance to enjoy their childhood in a fuller way. Raising £1,000 in this week will pay for a hot lunch each day for 40 working children for an entire year, so get down to your nearest Montezuma’s and join in making your own chocolate coated difference!

Back in March this year we introduced you to Hugh Barnett, who after having a serious chat with his doctor seven years back, started a demanding fitness programme and lost 6 1/2 stone. Not only this but Hugh decided to use his new found fitness to raise money for our projects by entering the 2011 London Triathlon.

Last Sunday in the 25 degree heat, Hugh finished the triathlon in 4 hours 11 minutes raising £329 so far for Children on the Edge. This was no mean feat. Hugh swam 1500 metres, cycled 24 miles and completed a 6 mile run.

We’d like to congratulate Hugh on this incredible achievement and thank him for choosing us to be the beneficiaries of his success. What Hugh has raised will pay for more than a year’s rent at one of our Apartment Schools for refugee children in Malaysia.

Without the schools these children have no access to education. Many end up begging, working on construction sites or as rubbish collectors. Thanks to supporters like Hugh over 500 children are receiving an education. They are learning Maths, English and Science rather than fending for themselves on the streets.

You can still donate to Hugh’s fundraising target, or if he has inspired you to take on a challenge to raise money for our projects then get in touch!

Deep in the rural areas of south west Moldova, employment levels are low and poverty levels are high. At least a third of people have no option but to search abroad to find work leaving their children alone or with grandparents who are often unable to give adequate care.

For those parents who remain, alcohol abuse is common and many children face a home life where they are neglected and abused. These circumstances push children into a negative downward spiral. Without care and encouragement many fall into a life of petty crime, many drop out of school and many are not even permitted to go to school. Children out of school are still sent to institutions in Moldova and those without education are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking in later life.

Our Child and Community Centre works in a small rural village in Moldova to prevent children from falling into this spiral. It actively encourages the community to engage their children in what we see as the essential ingredients of childhood. Each day the centre provides children with a hot meal, computer classes, homework help, football and basketball as well as ensuring there are always staff on hand to talk to.

Through this we have seen an incredible impact.

Before the Centre was open seven children in the village had active police records, sixteen children had dropped out of school, and nine children were kept out of school by their parents.

The Centre has given children with police records a focus and engaged them in positive activities. It has run after school homework classes to support children to stay in school and excel in their work. Staff have visited homes where children are kept from school to talk with parents and to engage the children in play sessions so they can learn to integrate again.

Because of this work, three years later there are no children with police records, no children dropping out of education, and eight out of the nine children kept at home now regularly attend school.

The Centre having met with initial skepticism from the local community is now fully recognised as a positive force for change, and a strong link between the community and the school. Raisa, the school head-teacher and manager of our Centre comments: “Now I can see the old way of control, control, control, causes children to be closed. If you let children be free, they will flourish.”